Columbus:Â President Donald Trump is showing he âcan be playedâ by Vladimir Putin when he doesnât acknowledge Russian interference in the 2016 election, a former Central Intelligence Agency director said.

âI think heâs giving Putin a pass,â John Brennan, CIA director under president Barack Obama, said Sunday on CNNâs âState of the Union.â âIt demonstrates to Mr. Putin that Donald Trump can be played by foreign leaders who are going to appeal to his ego and to try to play upon his insecurities, which is very, very worrisome from a national-security standpoint.â

James Clapper, former US director of national intelligence, agreed with that assessment and said he thinks âboth the Chinese and the Russians think they can playâ Trump with flattery.

Brennan and Clapper responded to comments Trump made on his Asia trip. The president on Saturday initially said Putin believed he didnât interfere in the election and that itâs time for the US to work with Russia on more pressing concerns.

Also speaking onÂ CNN, Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin defended the president, saying heâs ânot getting played by anybodyâ and was looking to other matters.

North Korea, Syria

âPresident Trump was focused on some very important issues, which are North Korea and Syria and those are areas that we need to work together with Russia and get them on board with our strategy,â Mnuchin said.

Separately, on CBS Newsâ âFace the Nation,â Mnuchin said ânobody thinksâ Russian activities had any impact on the election. âSo whatever occurred, there was no impact.â

Clapper said the chances that Russia will pursue like interests with the US are âslim and none.â He said the threat Russia poses to the US and its democracy is âmanifest and obviousâ and that to say otherwise âis astounding and in fact, poses a perilâ to the country.

âThe Russians do not harbour good intentions toward the United States, and there shouldnât be any illusions or any ambiguity about that â and our president fosters that ambiguity,â Clapper said.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday, Trump called Clapper and Brennan, along with former FBI Director James Comey, âpolitical hacks,â and added that Comey was âproven now to be a liar and heâs proven to be a leaker.â

Brennan responded on CNN by saying, âconsidering the source of the criticism, I consider that criticism a badge of honour.â